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Sometimes you get lucky, 1937 Delta 800 Motor


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"Back From The Archives:1897423278_OldManSmiley:"

 

While cruising the ebay listings last Friday morning, I ran accross a listing for a Vintage Delta Motor works needs TLC. With the following in the description "Motor is from a Delta Scroll Saw humms when you turn on the switch but runs well if you give it a spin".

 

Here's some photos,

 

100_05012?width=750

100_05022?width=750

100_05031?width=750

 

Well I recieved the motor this morning in the mail, and sure enough it would humm when I threw the switch but run fine after giving it a spin.

 

So I took the end bells loose to see what was going on, only to find that the movable contact on the centrifugal switch mechanism was off location and riding on the ouside of the locating cage. 

 

It took me a little while to figure out how to get it back into location, and reassemble the motor. The motor now works fine!

 

The motor was listed with a Buy It Now price of $25.00

 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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John,

 

This was a what you see is what I got purchase.

 

I don't believe that the motor has had much use it had a little sawdust in it, and the contacts on the centrifugal switch were in like new condition. The way it looked I think it may not have been assembled right from the factory.

 

I also believe that this is the original paint as I could see no signs of it having been repainted.

 

I think the cord had been replaced at some point, and will need to be replaced again due to cracking of the insulation.

 

I recieved an email from the seller this morning telling me good for you for getting it fixed, he figured it was probably an easy fix but didn't know enough about motors to do it himself. Wherever this motor was stored it remained in remarkable condition. Even the bearing grease is still grease and not dried up! 

 

The Old Iron Gods have smiled upon me!

 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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I did a little more research looking through the Delta catalogs, and it appears that the badge on the 800 motor first appeared in the 1934 catalog and was used into the 1937 model year. Sometime in 1937 it was replaced with the following style badge.

100_0504.thumb.JPG.c500eff596fda8b303fffbd83d927fe9.JPG

This is a model 900 Repulsion Induction motor that came on my drill press, from the catalogs it has to be from 1937 or 1938. This motor came with a Pull Gear Company gear reduction pulley on it.

Beginning in 1939 the switch was located in a metal conduit type box mounted to the motor case.

 

I bought the 800 motor thinking if nothing else I could use the switch and plate on this 900 motor, but seeing that I managed to get the 800 working I guess that I'm looking again. The previous owner had cut the plate and loosely mounted a conduit box with a light switch to it.

 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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Dan,

 

I was actually very surprised to find this listing on ebay. Even more surprised that it was still available due to me being the sixth person to see it. I believe that the only other thing I will do to it for now is to put a new cord on it.

 

Do you happen to know what paint is a close match for the copper/bronze that Delta used on the repulsion induction motors like my 900 above? It is also a good running motor but needs some touch up, and a switch and switchplate. I may just use a regular toggle switch and make a plate. Now that I have one I can copy. I just can't justify $50-100.00 for a switch, and plate.

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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Hi Larry,

 

I am going to preface my remarks by saying that I could be wrong, but I have several 800s and have probably seen 70-80 of them over the years and have never seen a copper / bronze like your later posted 900. Along with several other motors, I picked up an 800 and a 900 at OWAMMO's and the 800 has original paint and decal and the paint on it is traditional gray with black end bells.

 

I have several Delta switches, but I also have several motors to go through .... so until the dust settles on my motor restoration projects I don't know if I will have an extra. If you need one right away you might post a request on a few forums and you might snag one. Otherwise a cheap toggle will do for now or if you want I can loan you one of mine.

 

Take care my friend.

 

Dan ~ out in the shed having fun restoring an 1930's Porter Cable oscillating spindle sander.

 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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Dan,

 

You finally scored the Porter Cable OSS that you were looking for! You'll have to post pics.

 

I've seen a few of the copper/bronze and they were all repulsion induction motors, makes me wonder if only the RI motors were painted with this color scheme? Thanks for the loan offer, but I'm sure something will turn up.

 

The 900 came on my 1937 DP 220 drillpress. For what I paid for it I figure the drillpress was free as it had the motor and 882 lamp (and we know what they go for) I've also got a 62-110 capacitor start motor and it is a darker grey than the 800. It has the same style badge as the 900 above. 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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Hi Michael,

 

Thanks, I'm sure it will serve me well.

 

I just checked your location and Jack ( Tool 613 ) is the Wadkin Man! 

He has done several of the Wadkin machines.

 

I'm not sure what your power grid specifications are in Ireland.

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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Hey Larry,

 

I also checked with Mike Floyd who is one of if not the leading authority on "most matters vintage Delta" and he also believes that there was no motors that Delta made of the vintage we are speaking of that were copper / bronze on the "main body". There were some of the very early Delta motors that were all black.

 

I checked the 2 that you were speaking of on ebay that you sent a PM on and they are gray also. I have had them that were probably in a machine shop atmosphere that had turned a gray/tan, but I think that that was due to oil residue that actually impregnated into the gray paint. The paints that Delta used back then were a high pigment percentage of alkyd oil and also have a tendency to darken with age.

 

As per Delta Gray Paint in the early years......... 1941 Delta machinery catalog on page 34 shows cans of "Gray Machine Enamel" - in three shades!

 

Here's what the text reads: "Hundreds of users have purchased the attractive gray enamel with which we

paint our machines, in order to paint benches, other tools, and accessories in their shops to match. A
number of industrial users have also standardized on our gray enamel for the machines in their shop. For
the convenience of our customers we are now cataloging our standard enamel in three shades of gray.

 

Light gray, which is the standard gray familiar to all wood-working machines; medium gray, which is the color of the latest Delta machines and standard dark machine-tool gray."


Maybe this explains the different shades of gray seen on Delta machines.

 

Thanks ~ Dan 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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Dan,

 

I've seen the enamels that you are refering to myself. It may very well be an oil residue that has changed the color of the 900 motor that I have, because it and the drillpress it came off of have a sticky residue on them. They came out of an old barn from what the seller told me. I'm also wondering if it may not be rust coming through the paint. Whatever the residue is I have not found any cleaner that will remove it. I believe it has become part of the paint. It's kind of strange that it changed the color so evenly.

 

I've redone the artwork of the 800 decal from the Vintage Machinery website and will be uploading a 900 decal, it's real close to matching the decal on my 900 motor.

 

Edited by Larry Buskirk
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  • 6 years later...
  • 9 months later...

Here's a comment that will make all y'all hate me! LOL

 

I was just GIVEN a working drill press with a motor that is model # 2143 with a catalog # of 800. The drill press is a DP220 and is 100% original and fully functional (even has the original chuck key!) 

 

My friend got this drill press from his father; who received it as a gift from a neighbor who worked for Delta way back then. Story has it that my friend's Father had top-of-the-line Delta tools that would just appear in his garage. 

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